Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. 22, 1964 R. SMITH REFRIGERATING APPARATUS "F I M I F I L 24 94 49 74 26 INVENTOR. 32

Robert .S'mnll I .7 I m m H W ment parallel to the front.

United States Patent 3,162,023 REFRIGERATENG AT'PARATUS Robert Smith, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 2%;1963, Ser. No. 281,431 3 (Jiaims. (iii. 52-455) This invention pertains to a refrigerating apparatus and especially to a compact arrangement of the various parts of a refrigerating system within the machinery compartment at the bottom of a refrigerator cabinet.

it is a desirable feature to arrange the household refrigerator in such a way that it can be placed tightly against a back wall and between walls on both sides. This leaves only the front available for air circulation to the machinery within the machinery compartment beneath the cabinet. The desire for greater interior space in refrigerators Without increasing the exterior dimensions makes it desirable to make the machinery compartment as compact as possible without substantially interfering with the cooling of the compressor and the condenser. It is also desirable to provide in the interior of the refrigerator storage compartment greater storage space at the front where it is fully accessible than at the rear where it is less accessible. This suggests that the machinery compartment be made low at the front and high at the rear so as to provide more storage space within the insulated compartment at the front.

it is an object of this invention in a machinery compartment which is low at the front and high at the rear to arrange the parts of the refrigerating system outside the cabinet walls in such a way to provide efficient and adequate air flow around the parts and through the compartment.

It is another object of this invention to efficiently use the entire space in such a machinery compartment for all parts of the refrigerating system placed outside the insulated walls of the cabinet.

It is another object of this invention to provide an effective air circulating system for a machinery compartment open at the front and at the bottom and closed at the sides and rear which is low in front and high in the rear.

These and other objects are attained in the forms shown in the drawings in which the household refrigerator cabinet has its side walls extending downwardly and pro vided with structure adapted to support the cabinet upon the floor. The bottom insulated wall of the cabinet has its rear portion raised considerably above the floor while the front portion is somewhat lower. This forms the machinery compartment which is open at the bottom and front and substantially closed at the sides and rear. The low front part of the cabinet is provided with a novel U-shaped baffle within which are placed some of the controls for the system so that they are out of the circulating air stream and, thus, are not affected by the hot exiting air and are less likely to collect dust therefrom.

The condenser is placed at the rear of the U-shaped baffle in the high part of the machinery compartment. It is in the form of a tube and sheet arrangement which is wrapped generally spirally but in the shape of a rightangled trapezoid so as to fit the space provided for it in the machinery compartment. It is spaced slightly from the walls and the floor with its axis horizontal and extending across the back of the machinery compart- A fan and shroud are aligned with the condenser in the back of the machinery compartment at the right side thereof but the shroud fits The machinery compartment is made at the rear high enough to accommodate the compressor which is located between the fan and the right side wall. The low part of the machinery compartment at the right of the U-shaped baffie contains a pan for receiving and evaporating condensate from the evaporator in the insulated compartment of the refrigerator. The fan draws air in through the front opening at the left side of the U-shaped battle which guides the air rearwardly to the left end of the condenser and then laterally around and through the condenser to the fan which thendischarges the air first over the compressor and then forwardly on the right side of the U-shaped baffle over the condensate pan for discharge forwardly through the right side of the front opening of the machinery compartment.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

in the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet embodying one form of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1; 7

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the machinery compartment taken substantially along the lines 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4- is a transverse vertical section through the condenser and adjacent portions of the machinery compartment taken substantially along the lines 44 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an insulated refrigerator cabinet 20 having side walls 22 extending substantially to the floor and provided with glide portions 26 extending from the flanges 24 to the floor 28 for providing a suitable support for the cabinet. At the bottom of the cabinet Ztlthere is also provided the front and rear angle iron cross members 30 and 32. The insulated cabinet door 34 provides access to the insulated interior compartment 36 which is cooled by a refrigerant evaporator 38. The insulated bottom wall 46' of the storage compartment has a raised rear portion 42 and a lower front portion 44 with a slanted wall portion 4-6 in between the raised rear portion 42 and the lower front portion 44. The lower front portion 44 provides added front storage space within the insulated walls. This configuration provides a raised rear portion across the rear of the machinery compartment 48 beneath the wall 40. This rear portion 50 is substantially in the shape of a right-angled. trapezoid. The bottom of the machinery compartment is also provided with angle iron members 52 and 54 extending from front to rear on the right and left sides and a transverseangle iron member 5'6 extending transversely between the'angle iron members 52 and 54.

Resilient rubber blocks 58 and 6%) supported by the transverse angle iron. members 56 and 32 support the condenser 62 in the high rear portion 50 of the machinery compartment 48. The condenser 62 is of a Wrappedtube on sheet type which is formed into a shape substantially the same as the cross section of space available in the high rear portion 50 of the machinery compartment 43. It is substantially in the form of a right-angled trapezoid with the top, bottom and rear sides being horizontal and vertical so that they are respectively parallel to the top of the machinery compartment, the floor 28 and the rear wall 64. The front wall of the condenser 62 is slanted substantially parallel with the slanting portion 46 of the insulated bottom wall 49. The tube on sheet 'configura- 'tion of the condenser 62 is wrapped generally in the form of a spiral but having'the inner portions parallel to the-outer wall portions generally excepting for a suitable radius at the corners. The periphery of the condenser 62 throughout is spaced slightly away from the adjacent wall surfaces 46, 42 and 64 and from the floor 23 so that air can flow not only through the condenser 62 but also around it. Thus, the surrounding walls and the floor are used to confine the flow of air so that the air must flow in close contact with the outer surfaces or through the condenser 62 so as to provide efficient cooling.

The 'fan shroud 66 is mounted upon the transverse frame members 32 and S6 and fits substantially tightly to the rear wall 64 and the bottom face of the wall 40 including the portions 42 ands46. A three-armed spider 68 is supported through rubber mountings upon the shroud. The center of the spider 68 supports the fan motor 70 which drives the four-bladed fan '72 in the central opening of the shroud 66. The axis of the condenser 62, the shroud 66, the fan 72, the motor 70 and the spider 68 are "all substantially in alignment on a line parallel to the rear wall '64 of the cabinet 20. Between the spider 68 and the adjacent side wall 22 is located the compressor 74. The compressor 74 has its first outlet connected by the tube 76 to the superheat pass 78 in the structure of the condenser 62 which returns the cooled gas through the pipe .89 back to the compressor 74. Lubricant from this gas is deposited in the compressor 74 and the gas is then forwarded through the conduit 82 to the remaining portion of the condenser 62. From the condenser 62 the liquefied refrigerant is forwarded througha capillary supply restrictor tube (not shown) to the evaporatorSS where the refrigerant evaporates and is returned through a return conduit back into the compressor 74.

A suitable capillary supply restrictor tube is shown in Patent No. 2,766,346 issued August 28, 1956. This tube is designated in this patent by the reference character 34.

A refrigerating system with a super-heat coil analogous to the super-heat pass 78 is shown in Patent No. 2,420,- 442 issued May 1.34, 1947. This super-heat coil is designated in this patent by the reference character 71.

. The shroud 66 cooperates with the walls so that, when the fan 72 operates, it will draw air through and around the condenser 62 and discharge the air over the compressor 74. According to my invention, to properly keep separated the ingress air and the egress air, I provide a U-shaped bathe 84 having the legs extending for wardly and the closed end extending rearwardly adjacent the condenser 62. The rear and right side of this bafile 84 is covered with a strip of sound absorbing material, such as glass fiber wool 86. The rear of the bafile 84 and the strip 86 cooperate with the block of insulating .material, such as glass fiber wool 88, which closes the space between the strip 86 and the condenser 62. This effectively assures that the air will be drawn in through the left side of the grille 90 beneath the door 34 at the frontof the machine compartment 48 on the left side of the U -shaped bafiie 84 and will flow through either the narrow space surrounding the condenser 62 or through the narrow passages in the condenser 62 to the fan 72 which will continue the coaxial flow of air over the compressor 74 before the air turns forwardly and is discharged out the right side of the grille 90. The U-shaped bafiie 84 not only has the effect of separating the ingress and egress air flowing through the grille 90, but it is also 'wide enough to substantially prevent air flow from one side of the machinery compartment beneath it above the floor to the other sideand thereby effectively prevents the hot air from recirculating through the condenser 62.

'Extending forwardly from the cross member 56 is a fiange'92 which supports the rear edge of the condensate pan -94, adapted to collect water from the evaporatorlwhenever the evaporator 3,8 defrosts. Suitable refrigerator drain arrangements are shown in Patent No. 3,048,- 024, issued August 7,1962, and Patent No. 2,994,207

issued ,August l, 196 l, this latter, patent a -suitable drain is particularly shown in FIGS. 1 and 8. The condensate pan 94 is adapted to collect water from such a drain. The front edge of the pan 94 is supported on the cross member 30. The air flowing away from the fan 72 over the compressor 74 is forced to flow forwardly around and over the pan 94. This circulating air is sufficiently warmed to evaporate any moisture which is deposited in the pan 94. Between the legs of the U- shaped bafiie 84 is a capacitor 96 which is electrically associated with the phase winding of the electric motor which drives the compressor of the compressor unit 74. Also between the legs of the U-shaped baffle 84 is the starting and overload control 98 which is likewise electrically associated with the windings of the electric motor which drives the compressor unit 74. At the side of the bafiie 84 there also is located a defrost timer 99 which controls the defrost period so as to periodically melt any frost from the evaporator 38.

The capacitor Q6 and the starting and overload control 98 are shielded from the circulating air so that they will not readily collect any dust or lint. The fiber glass 86 shields the capacitor 96 and the starting and overload control 98 from the warm air which passes forwardly to the right of the bafiie dd. This assures better operating conditions for both the capacitor 96 and the starting and overloadcontrol 98. The circulation of the cooling air rearwardly through the left side of the grille Qt} through and around the condenser 62 by the fan 72 and thence over the compressor 74 and the pan 94 and discharging the air' forwardly through the right side of the grille 90 provides an efiicient air cooling system for the condenser 62 and the motor-compressor unit 74 in a relatively small space. The rear high portion 50 of the machinery compartment is used efiiciently for the condenser 62 and the motor-compressor unit 74. By-passing of the air is substantially eifectively prevented by the U-shaped baffle 84 and the insulating block 88 cooperating with the insulating strip 86. The strip of glass fibers 86 substantially absorbs the sounds from the fan 72, the fan motor 76 and the compressor 7 so as to make the apparatus quiet. The pan 94 is readily accessible and readily movable. It is desirable to clean the pan d4 from time to time and it is therefore desirable that it be very accessible.

While the embodiment of the present invention, as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred, form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is:

l. A refrigerator including a cabinet having insulated walls and door means enclosing a compartment to be cooled and having support means extending downwardly from said insulated walls providing a space beneath the compartment to be cooled, said insulated walls including a bottom wall having a raised rear portion and a lower front portion, a U-shaped bafile having spaced legs located beneath and extending substantially into contact with said lower front portion having said spaced legs extending forwardly and extending downwardly substantially to but out of contact with the floor for guiding air in a U-shaped path through said space, a refrigerant condenser located beneath said raised rear portion and extending substantially throughout the area between the raised rear portion and the floor on which the cabinet rests and the rear of said .U-shaped baflle and the rear of the cabinet, said condenser having an air flow passage arrangement extending laterally across the rear of said cabinet, a fan and shroud aligned with said condenser and extending substantially across the area between the rear of said U-shaped bathe and the rear of the cabinet and the raised rear portion and the floor, said space beneath the compartment havingingress and egress air flow openings at the front on opposite sides of said U-shaped bafiie providing ingress and egress for the air moved by saidrfan, a motor-compressor unit located in said space beneath the rear raised portion operatively connected to saidfcondenser, and .an evaporator associated with said compartment to be cooled operatively connected to said motor-compressor unit and said condenser.

2. A refrigerator including a cabinet having insulated walls and door means enclosing a compartment to be cooled and having support means extending downwardly from said insulated walls providing a space beneath the compartment to be cooled, said insulated walls including a bottom Wall having a raised rear portion and a lower front portion, a U-shaped baffle having spaced legs located beneath and extending substantially into contact with said lower front portion having said spaced legs extending forwardly and extending downwardly substantially to but out of contact with the floor for guiding air in a U- shaped path through said space, a refrigerant condenser located beneath said raised rear portion and extending substantially throughout the area between the raised rear portion and the floor on which the cabinet rests and the rear of said U-shaped baffle and the rear of the cabinet, said condenser having an air flow passage arrangement extending laterally across the rear of said cabinet, a fan and shroud aligned with said condenser and extending substantially across the area between the rear of said U-shaped baflle and the rear of the cabinet and the raised rear portion and the floor, said space beneath the compartment having ingress and egress air flow openings at the front on opposite sides of said U-shaped bafiie providing ingress and egress for the air moved by said fan, a motor-compressor unit located in said space beneath the rear raised portion operatively connected to said condenser, an evaporator associated with said compartment to be cooled operatively connected to said motorcompressor unit and said condenser, and control means for said motor-compressor unit located within said U- shaped bafile.

3. A refrigerator including a cabinet having insulated walls and door means enclosing a compartment to be cooled and having support means extending downwardly from said insulated walls providing a space beneath the compartment to be cooled, said insulated walls including a bottom wall having a raised rear portion and a lower front portion, a U-shaped baflie having spaced legs located beneath and extending substantially into contact with said lower front portion having said spaced legs extending forwardly and extending downwardly substantially to but out of contact with the floor for guiding air in a U-shaped path through said space, a refrigerant condenser located beneath said raised rear portion and extending substantially throughout the area between the raised rear portion and the floor on which the cabinet rests and the rear of said U-shaped bafile and the rear of the cabinet, said condenser having an air flow passage arrangement extendingilaterally across the rear of said cabinet, a fan and shroud aligned with said condenser and extending substantially across the area between the rear of said U-shaped baffle and the rear of the cabinet and the raised rear portion and the floor, said space beneath the compartment having ingress and egress air flow openings at the front on opposite sides of said U- shaped bafile providing ingress and egress for the air moved by said fan, a motor-compressor unit located in said space beneath the rear raised portion operatively connected to said condenser, an evaporator associated with said compartment to be cooled operatively connected to said motor-compressor unit and said condenser, means for operating said fan to draw in air through said ingress air flow opening at the front and discharging the air through said egress air flow opening at the front, and sound absorbing means on the leg of said baffle adjacent said egress air flow opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,795,886 Prugh Mar. 10, 1931 2,226,444 Caulk Dec. 24, 1940 2,780,925 McGrew et a1 Feb. 12, 1957 2,880,597 Wellborn Apr. 7, 1959 3,071,937 Smith Jan. 8, 1963 3,079,770 Brown et a1. Mar. 5, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 805,286 Great Britain Dec. 3, 1958 

1. A REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING A CABINET HAVING INSULATED WALLS AND DOOR MEANS ENCLOSING A COMPARTMENT TO BE COOLED AND HAVING SUPPORT MEANS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID INSULATED WALLS PROVIDING A SPACE BENEATH THE COMPARTMENT TO BE COOLED, SAID INSULATED WALLS INCLUDING A BOTTOM WALL HAVING A RAISED REAR PORTION AND A LOWER FRONT PORTION, A U-SHAPED BAFFLE HAVING SPACED LEGS LOCATED BENEATH AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY INTO CONTACT WITH SAID LOWER FRONT PORTION HAVING SAID SPACED LEGS EXTENDING FORWARDLY AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY SUBSTANTIALLY TO BUT OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE FLOOR FOR GUIDING AIR IN A U-SHAPED PATH THROUGH SAID SPACE, A REFRIGERANT CONDENSER LOCATED BENEATH SAID RAISED REAR PORTION AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE AREA BETWEEN THE RAISED REAR PORTION AND THE FLOOR ON WHICH THE CABINET RESTS AND THE REAR OF SAID U-SHAPED BAFFLE AND THE REAR OF THE CABINET, SAID CONDENSER HAVING AN AIR FLOW PASSAGE ARRANGEMENT EXTENDING LATERALLY ACROSS THE REAR OF SAID CABINET, A FAN AND SHROUD ALIGNED WITH SAID CONDENSER AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN THE REAR OF SAID U-SHAPED BAFFLE AND THE REAR OF THE CABINET AND THE RAISED REAR PORTION AND THE FLOOR, SAID SPACE BENEATH THE COMPARTMENT HAVING INGRESS AND EGRESS AIR FLOW OPENINGS AT THE FRONT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID U-SHAPED BAFFLE PROVIDING INGRESS AND EGRESS FOR THE AIR MOVED BY SAID FAN, A MOTOR-COMPRESSOR UNIT LOCATED IN SAID SPACE BENEATH THE REAR RAISED PORTION OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CONDENSER, AND AN EVAPORATOR ASSOCIATED WITH SAID COMPARTMENT TO BE COOLED OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOTOR-COMPRESSOR UNIT AND SAID CONDENSER. 